May Newsletter

Hi Team! We hope that your training is going well and that you are out there enjoying the beautiful weather. Summer is almost here and that can only mean one thing, the 2013 race season is in full swing! May has been an exciting and fun-filled month for the Team so far! Here are some of the incredible things all of you have been up to!

Run To Home Base

Sebastian and Tracie Gallegos at Fenway

On Saturday May 4^th, Warrior Team member Sebastian Gallegos and his wife Tracie represented the Team at the Boston Red Sox Fenway Park in Boston, MA for the Run-Walk to Home Base.  The run was hosted by the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program to help and educate the community about combat stress and/or traumatic brain injury as we seek to mitigate the stigma and encourage veterans and their families to get the support and care they deserve. 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half and Full Marathon

Warrior Team members Chris Claude, Len Lacina and Dean Suthard are ready to start the race.

 

On May 5, the Team hit the streets for the 2013 Pittsburgh Marathon weekend. Both runners and handcyclists participated in the races. Warrior Team member Len Lacina finished his first ever full marathon along with Warrior Team member Steve Siwulec who finished his very first half marathon! Chris Claude and Dean Suthard also handcycled the full marathon while representing the Team on the hilly course. Way to go, Team!

 

Warrior Team member Steve Siwulec and Team Director Jenlene Nowak pose for a quick picture before running the half.

 

TD Five Boro Bike Tour

Incredible Warrior Team and Community Team members at the finish.

 

While Team members were racing around Pittsburgh, more Team members were cycling the streets for the TD Five Boro Bike Tour! Both Community Team and Warrior Team members rode together during this 40 mile tour of the five boros of New York City. Edgardo Comulada, Freddie DeLosSantos and Nathan Cruz were among the Warrior Team members participating. A BIG thank you and congratulations to our Top Fundraisers Thomas Morales and Phil Knittel!

 

The Warrior Team heads to the start line.

 

2013 Warrior Games

From May 11 – May 16, some of our incredible Warrior Team members competed in the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, CO.

Some Team members reunite during dinner at the 2013 Warrior Games

More than 200 wounded service members and veterans  participated.  All five U.S. teams representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and Special Operations, as well as one international team from the U.K. participated. Teams competed in seven sports including archery, cycling, shooting, sitting-volleyball, swimming, track and field and wheelchair basketball. Many of Team Hope For The Warriors® Warrior Team members medaled in their events!

SOCOM and Warrior Team member David Neumer gets some encouragement from fellow Team member Victor.

SOCOM and Warrior Team member Nathan Cruz is ready to start his race.



                 

Hope For The Warriors® is a proud sponsor of the 2013 Warrior Games Family Program. 

 

 



Warrior Team member Michael Politowicz and his wife Suzannah before the cycling competition at the Air Force Academy.

 

GORUCK Challenge

 GORUCK Challenge Class of 576

 

While the majority of the Team was sleeping soundly this Saturday morning, a brave few of our Team members were just starting out on their twelve hour GORUCK Challenge in New York. This intense challenge starting out at 1am, included challenges such as rucking, pushups and situps with a log! Not to mention, each Team member was already carrying a rucksack with bricks! To learn more about his incredible challenge, click here.



Team members rocking some pushups on the beach.

Team members taking the challenge into the water.

 8^th Annual Run For The Warriors®

Team Director Jenlene Nowak and Warrior Team members John and Colleen Rose

 

This past Saturday, the 8th Annual Run For The Warriors® Half Marathon, 10K, 5K and 1-Mile Walk/Run took place in Jacksonville, NC. Through the generosity of longtime supporter Christian Haerter, a donation of a motorized handcycle was made. The gift was given to the Marine Corps and will reside in the Wounded Warrior Regiment for all to enjoy as a part of their Warrior Athlete Reconditioning Program.

Community Team member Scott Sunday completed the half with a weighted vest and elevation mask!

 

Some Incredible Warrior Team members are ready to get the race started.

Up Next

Memorial 100 Run

The fourth annual Memorial 100 Relay Run will begin early, Saturday May 25, at the Montauk Point Lighthouse, NY (the tip of Long Island)and ends on May 26 at Ground Zero, Lower Manhattan, New York.  

This 136 mile relay was organized by three Marines who deployed with 3rd Battalion 25th Marine Regiment to Iraq in 2005. Their battalion was tasked with training the Iraqi Security Forces and conducting stability and security operations in and around the cities of Iraq's Al Anbar province. The unit lost 46 Marines and two Sailors during the course of the six month deployment, making it one of the largest unit sacrifices in the war.

To learn more about this incredible event, please click here.

Running and Swimming and Biking Oh My!

Have you been looking for triathlon to challenge yourself this summer? Look no further! Team Hope For The Warriors® has a couple great ones coming up!

Salute To The Military Tri
Sunday, May 26 – Warrenton, VA

All Hope For The Warriors® family and supporters get 30% off their registration with code: hfw30! It’s not too late to register for this exciting event. To join in on the fun, click here.

TriSlip Super Sprint Triathlon

Sunday June 16 – Bay Shore, NY

To join us for this super fun event at the beautiful Bay Shore Marina Park, please click here.

 

 

2013 Marine Corps Marathon Bibs

Don’t miss your opportunity to run with the Team in the Marine Corps Marathon! We have just a few more bibs/registrations available!  Not only will you get the incredible opportunity to run with the greatest Teammates around, but you will also have the chance to get to know them during a couple of fun Team festivities that weekend. There will be our delicious and fun pre-race dinner at Whitlows on Wilson. Our pre-race Team breakfast at the tent and our post-race pizza party after you finish! Bibs/registrations are going fast, hurry to grab them while you can! To register, please click here.

Text To Donate

Hey Team! Got a minute? Did you know that you can support our American heroes with just a simple little text?  Text the word WARRIORS to 20222 to donate $10 to Hope For The Warriors®! It’s easy, quick and fun! This is also a fun way to get your friends and family involved.

Community Team Member Highlight: Megan Schmidt

 

Hometown: “I'm originally from Long Island, but live in New York City.”

Occupation: “I am the Outreach Officer at the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect, which is a network of organizations working to prevent mass atrocities throughout the world.”

How Did You Hear About Hope For The Warriors®?

“I first learned about Hope For The Warriors® through the New York Road Runners.  NYRR sent an email about organizations to run with, and Hope For The Warriors® was listed.  I clicked the link, learned about this great organization, and now proudly wear a Hope for the Warriors jersey when I race!”

What Made You Want To Join The Team?

“I find the mission and work of Hope For The Warriors® to be amazing because they are dedicated to providing support and assistance to our brave men and women in the armed forces and their families.  This is personal for me because my brother has been in the Marines Corps for 12+ years (he's a Gunnery Sergeant).  My family has felt both the pride and the worry that comes with having a member in the military, and so I especially appreciate the amazing work of this organization.”

What Is Your Favorite Thing About Being A Part Of The Team?

“The feeling that, even if it's just by running, I can do something to say thank you to our selfless and dedicated servicemen and women by supporting Hope For The Warriors®.”

What Races Did You Run Last Year?

“I ran a number of NYRR organized races of varying lengths, anything from 3 miles to a half-marathon, including: the Pride Run; Japan Day Run; Brooklyn Half; Bronx 10 miler; and Staten Island Half.”

What Is On Your Schedule This Year?

“This year I ran my first marathon ever, and on behalf of Hope For The Warriors®!!  This was the Rock ‘n’ Roll DC marathon.  While I haven't signed up for any other races yet (I was focusing so much on the marathon!), I'm hoping to fill up my calendar with a bunch.  I'm looking at the NYRR Pride Run again, Queens 10k, Staten Island Half, and want to find another marathon.  Also, I'm keeping my eyes open for any NYC based Hope For The Warriors® runs!”

What Keeps You Motivated During Long Runs?

“Good music is very helpful for me with long runs if I'm by myself.  I think the best motivator though is a running buddy.”

Do You Have Any Pre-Race Superstitions?

“I don't think so.  The only thing I do is completely prepare ahead of time by laying out my clothes, putting everything in my short pockets, preparing my shoes and bib, etc.  I can be a forgetful, so I try to be as ready as possible.” 

Megan is all smiles during her first marathon, the USA Nation's Capital Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.

What Do You Treat Yourself To After A Race?

“If I'm in NYC and run a longer race then I like to go to my favorite bar and get an order of hot wings and garlic fries to celebrate.  I know, not healthy and totally defeating the purpose of exercising, but it's become a bit of a tradition after I ran my first half a few years back.”

If You Could Run With Any Celebrity, Who Would It Be?

“Eddie Izzard!  I absolutely love his comedy and he ran over 40 marathons in seven weeks for charity, and has kept up the running since.  Plus, since he's absolutely hilarious, I think would make for a great running buddy!”

What Is On Your Running Playlist Right Now?

“I typically run with my iPod on speaker and recently have been playing Of Monsters and Men, Pearl Jam, Florence and the Machine, and the Black Keys a lot.  There are a few major hills that I have to run towards the end of my route, and I always blast the remix of 'Let's Get Married' by Jagged Edge, featuring Run DMC.  It gets me pumped.  I must admit, though, that I'll run to the likes of Britney Spears and Carley Rae Jepsen if I have headphones in my ears.” 

Have You Always Been A Runner?

“No.  I started running at the end of high school, but I feel like saying 'running' is exaggerating what it really was.  I think the first time I ever went out, I ran maybe a half of a mile and then walked for a bit.  It was huge for me when I was able to run a mile all the way through!  And I've stuck with it.” 

What Has Been Your Favorite Race? Why?

“My favorite race was running the Pride Run the day after New York voted in favor of marriage equality.  The mood at the race was just amazing and it was a historic moment for our state.”  

What Race Is On Your Bucket List?

“I don't have a specific race, but I want more than anything to run a marathon with my brother on behalf of Hope For The Warriors®.” 

What Do You Think About During Runs Or Workouts? Do You Work Out Problems, Daydream, Sing Songs, Or Just Zone Out?

“I either totally space out and am just looking around at what's around me, or I find myself working out things in my head.  I have my best ideas for work or school (I'm working on my MA thesis now!) when I'm running.”  

Anything Else You Would Like To Add?

“I would just really recommend to pick up running for people who haven't yet.  It's such a great way to see your city or town, explore new places, and challenge yourself.  Plus you can go with friends, or get some 'me' time.  And you can support Hope for the Warriors by doing it!!”